Automatic or safety train-stop mechanism



F. A. DIODATO. AUTOMATIC 0R SAFETY TRAIN STOP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-25,1919. LWMJMW Patented July fi, 1mm

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

as m iy F. A. DIODATO.

AUTOMATIC OR SAFETY TRAIN STOP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.25. 1919.

Patented July M 192M;

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

iIIlIIIIIQ 56 I I I of the sprocket and in effect forming a rack by which the sprocket can be rotated in either direction by reciprocation of the rod or can be held locked by the red. A coiled spring 12 constantly acts on the rod in a direction to slide the same rearwardly and to rotate the sprocket in a direction to swing the valve upwardly to opened position.

Suitable means are provided to normally hold this red set against the tension of said spring and holding the emergency valve 7 in opened position. For instance, I show a portion of the rod within the cab formed with a notch or stop shoulder M (Fig. 3), and locking means provided with a stop, bolt or dog normally engaging said stop 14 of the rod and looking or holding the rod in such set position. 7

, Suitable means are provided for normally maintaining the bolt 15 in lockingposition and whereby said bolt can be withdrawn to trip the rod 10 and permit its spring to move the rod on its emergency valve closing stroke. In the particular example illu tra-ted, I showthe bolt 15 carried by a slide embodying a body 16 from which the bolt 15 projects, and arms 17, 17", carried by and slidable in guides or boxes 18 carried by the side wall oi the cab and at tl eir outer ends provided with anti-friction rollers 19. In this example, the arms 1.7, 17, are horizontal and parallel and spaced apart, one above the other, and these arms extendiirom the interior of the cab with their outer ends projecting laterally from the right hand side or the cab. The body 1-6 is vertically arranged within the cab and is carried by said arms and arranged at theinner ends the" if. The slide consisting of said body and said arms is yieldingly held in normal position with the arms progecting in normal position at the exterior of the cab and with .he bolt ioiiixing the rod 10 in normal, position, by spring :39 which constantly exerts its tension to force the slide outwardly with respect to the cab side wall.

r I also preferably provide means controlled by said slide 16 for applying the train brakes and sounding a whistle or other alarm, when the slide is forced inwardly by means arranged along-the railroad way to operate rod 10 to shut off the steamto the cylinders. In the example illustrated, I

show the slide body 16 extended down wardly with its lower. extremity extended laterally to form a freeend linger l6 eX-.

tendinghorizontally toward the adjacent side wall ofthe cab. A weighted lever 2-1 plug, cock or valve 22 controlling an air escape pipe El through which air can bc released from the train air brake syslcm to causeapplication oi the li 'alics to stop the train. li'hen the lever 2! is in normal clcrated position (big 3) the valve closes the pipe 2; against escape. of air through said pipe from the air lil'tllit. system s that said system is under the control of the engineer s valve 3-? as usual. liowm or, when the lever 2i is released it :uiloinalically drops and opens the valve 22 to permit brake applying escape of air througn pipe 2 The pipe terminates and has ls outlet in audible alarm or \vhistlc cunstriictc' and arranged to he loudly soundcd by the escape of air through. pipe 33, lloivcvcr, the escape o i air to sound the histlc is cont ed by a plug valve it in the onllct end pipe 2" The projecting stem oiplng valve. 26 is provided with handle .ii' by which the valve can be manually opcncd and closed, and also with pinion 28 by which the valve can be opened and closr l lhrough the action of rack 2 carried and actual d by piston lid in cylinder 3?. .i branch air pipe 3 leads tron'i air escape pipe .5 1 into cylinder below the piston thcrcin nll'l liraiich pipe liitcd with a plug valve by which 'lllc low of air l'hcrclhrough be controlled. \l'hen the valve 2:) is red, the pressure enters the cylinder llllii elevat s the piston and thcrchy opens aim at: through the opera on oi the rack and i) Ion, and hence pcrmius (Hilllt or" air into the whistle to apply the 'ii'ulvas. l b:- pislon c linder arr" gemi-nt for opening the is ape from pipe 3- is ilfift' il'llfll lo pma dangcrousi sudilcn application oi he train hrahes which might occur should i. .v

to norn'ial position. fler the train has been brought to a stop, the engineer can ole rate lever 31 to close the enicrgimcy air escape pipe 23, and hold the lever elevated by si 'ain inserting the finger 16' through the l. The engineer will then again open the steam main to control by the throttle valve, by forcing the rod 10 forwardly lilll upward movement.

neaavss against the tension of spring 12 until the rod 10 in normal position.

Devices are arranged at suitable intervals along the railroad way to engage and force the slide Ill; oil a passing lOCOIHOtlVGlII wardly to perform the ilijinctions hereinbe- Ilore descrihei'l, when that locomotive atteln its to enter a block that not open or to pass a signal against the passage of such locomotive.

in the example illustrated, T show a block signal post or tower in fixedposition beside the track and carrying a vertically swingable semaphore Suitable mechanism is provided to. ope ate the semaphore, for instance such as is in common use. In common practice, the semaphore is normally set against the passage of trains, asshown in l ig. 2:3. li the two blocks ahead are empty so that a train is free to enter the first block the semaphore assumes verticalpositicni. lit the firstblock ahead is empty but a train is located in the second block ahead, the semaphore moves to a position half way between. the/sat ety (vertical) position and the danger or horizontal position. The semaphore when at thishalf wayposition is also set against a trainentering the first block. l utilize this signal system inuse, for automatically controlling means along the railroad way to actuate the slide 16 etc. projecting from the locomotive. In the example illustrated, the posts 33 arehollow and each is equipped with a rigid hollow lateral arm or jib extending toward the traclr and at its outer end terminating in a vertical portion. A. housing 36 is lined to and dependstion i the lower endof each jib and this housing is open at its side facing the track. it cam or track block 37 for op erating the slides 16 etc. of passing trains is arranged in this housing 36. This block is elongated in the direction of movement of trains on the track andon its side or edge facing the track is formed with an elongated concaved track onrunway 37" to recoive the rollers 19. This ,trackway longitudinally inclines or curves from its high center toward its opposite ends. This block is rigid with an upwardly extending shank 3S vertically slidable in the lower open end of the fixed jib The block also vertically slidable in the housing 86 from lower posi tion (Fig. 3) to operate the lower rod or arm 17 of the locomotive slide 16, to upper operative position to operatively engage the upper rod or arm 17 of the locomotive slide, and to its inoperative position at its limit of Suitable means are provided for operating the cam block from the semaphore 34 and for determining the position of the cam block by the position of the semaphore. For instance, I show the cam bloclr and its gage the lower arm 17 shank counteiweighted through the medium of weight all) vertically movable in post 33 and flexible connection 41 extending from said shank to said weight over suitable pul leys 4:2. The flexible connection extends upwardly and horizontally through the 1101- low jib and downwardly in the hollow post. The connection includes a sprocket chain -11 in mesh with a sprocket pinion leton the shaft of the semaphore. The arrangement is such that the relative positions of the semaphore and cam block are fixed and so that when the semaphore has dropped to vertical safety position the cam block will he elevated to its limit and hence out of operative position with respect to the arm 17, 17, of the passing locomotives. lit the semaphore is then raised to half way position, set against train passage, the cam block will be automatically lowered and held in position with its track in the path of movement of the arm 17 of a passing train. lit for any reason such train attempts to pass the signahthe arm 17 of its locomotive slide will engage and. ride up on the cam track of said block and the slide will be automatically forced inwardly to release the various means to bring the train to a stop. If the semaphore be moved to horizontal position, the cam block will be automatically moved 95 to its lowest position and the track of the hloclr will be in position to operatively enot the locomotive slide.

lit is evident that various changes, niodifications and variations might be resorted to.

without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence T do not wish to limitmyselii to the exact disclosures hereof.

What I claim is 1. In train stop mechanism, a locomotive having an emergency steam cut-oil valve for stopping the supply oi steam to the locomotive cylinders, a spring actuated rod having operative connection with said valve for 1 holding the same open and for moving the same to opened and closed positions, a bolt engaging saidind to lock the latter against valve closing movement, and slides operatively connected with said bolt projecting to 11s the exterior of the locomotive, one or the other of saidslides being adapted to he moved longitudinally by means located 7 along the railroad way whenever said means are in various danger positions, whereby said bolt will release said rod and permit valve closing movement thereof.

2. lntrain stop mechanism. a locomotive. having an emergency steam cut oil valve for stopping the supply of steam to the locomotive cylinders, a spring-held rod having op erative connection with said valve for holding the same open and for moving the same to opened and closed positions, and a slide having bolt engaging said rod to lock, the

latter against valve closing movement, said slide projecting to the exterior of the locomotive and adaptedto be moved. longitudinally by means located along the railroad way to release said rod and permit valve closing movement thereof.

3. In train stop mechanism, a locomotive having an air brake air release pipe, a whistle on the discharge end o'l. said pipe, a valve controllin escape of ai" to the whistle, a cylinder having a piston operatively connected to said valve ton opening the same, a valved branch pipe from said air release pipe to saidcylinder, a valve controlling How of air ii iii the brane system through said air. rel. ESQ pipe, means constantly tending to open said last mentioned valve, and devices acting said means to hold said valve closed, said do *ices arranged to be operated by means along the railroad way to release said means in case of emergency and permit opening of the valve controlled thereby.

e. In train stop mechanism, a visual signal arranged along the railroad way and movable to and from train passage and .train stop positions, a contact block, suspending means for said contact block operatively connected with said visual signal whereby said suspending means are automatically raised and lowered -by and with said signal, to support said contact block at various elevations, said contact block wnen relative to means on a passing locon'iotive adapted to be actuated by said block to stop the locomotive.

V In train stop mechanism, a visual signal arranged along the railroad way and movable to and from train passage and train stop positions, a contact block, suspending moans for said contact block operatively connected with said visual signal whereby said suspending means are automatically raised and lowered by and with said signal, to support said contact block at various elevations, said contact block when suspended at its various elevations being either in inoperative or operative position relative to means on a passing locomotive adapted to be actuated by said block to stop the locomotive, said visual signal, contact block, and their connections, being so arranged that the contact block will be suspended at inoperative position when the signal is at train passage position, and will be suspended in operative position when the signal is at train stop position.

6. In train stop mechanism, a visual signal pivotally arranged along the railroad way and movable to and from train passagc and train stop positions, a contact block, a flexible connection secured to said contact block and including a sprocket chain, the pivotal means of said visual signal having 1. sprocket pinion thereon in operative engagement with said sprocket chain whereby said flexible connection is moved by and with the pivotal movement of said signal to move said contact block to operative position to operate means on a. passing locomw tive to automatically stop the same when said signal is moved to train stop position, and said flexible connection is moved in the reverse direction to revcrsely move said block to inoperative position when the nal is moved to train passage position.

7.'In train stop mechanism, a hollow mast, a visual signal pivotally arranged thereon and movable to and from train passage and train stop positions, a hollow lateral arm projecting from said mast and terminating in a hollow downward evtcnsion having an opening arranged adjacent the railroad way, a flexible connection in said mast, lateral arm, and downward extension passing over suitable pulleys, a contact block tion.

FRANK A. 'DI(')DAT(). 

